In semiconductor devices like semiconductor diodes mobile charge carriers flood the semiconductor regions on both sides of a forward biased pn junction and may form a charge carrier plasma that provides a low forward or on state resistance of the semiconductor device but that has to be removed in a reverse recovery period when the pn junction changes from forward biased to reverse biased. The reverse recovery process contributes to switching losses of the semiconductor device. It is desirable to provide a semiconductor diode having an optimized trade-off between low switching losses, a high reverse breakdown voltage, and a high peak current robustness.